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All posts for the month November, 2010

We were on our way to The Fort Global City when we encountered uncharacteristic traffic on a Sunday, leading up the flyover along C5, the one right before Tiendesitas. We were moving, but more like an inch at a time. As we got closer to the cause, we realized it was an accident. We saw lots of flashing siren lights, and we saw that it was a road accident. The looked really bad, and I was bracing myself for something gruesome. When it comes to these things, I’m not really usisero, mainly because I don’t have the stomach to see blood and guts and all that stuff. Even in movies I get really squeamish. Just to digress a bit, when I was young and watched “Oro, Plata, Mata”, the scene where the Japanese soldiers cut off Lorlie Villanueva’s fingers because she refused to give them her rings, gave me nightmares for weeks. The movie never really showed the fingers being cut off, but just the thought scarred me for a long time. Back to the accident, it seemed like the SUV slammed onto one of the lamp posts on our left, then swerved to right and slammed onto the right wall of the flyover. When we got there, the car was on it’s side. The police just pushed it upright. When it was our turn to pass the wreck, the ambulance just left, zooming past us on the other lane. We were praying that the passengers were alive since they were still being rushed to the hospital. The police stopped the traffic flow exactly as we were the next car to pass. They needed about 15-20 minutes to get the debris and the vehicle out. So for quite some time, no cars were moving on both lanes of the flyover. We were stuck to watch them clear the area. We didn’t really mind, suddenly being very grateful just to be safe inside our cars. Scenes like this really put things into perspective.

The whole thing really stuck with me like a stubborn scent, the way smoke clings to your shirt after a night out. Wherever I went after that, I had images of the car crash flashing in my head. It’s one of my worst fears, to get a call saying that someone you love got into an accident. It’s something I would never wish even on my worst enemies. So I guess it shook me up because it hit a primal nerve inside of me. I’ve never had a ringside seat to an accident like this. Usually I’d only see parts of it from behind the police cars or ambulances, but never really had a clear view of it.

Just be careful on the road everyone, I get goosebumps whenever I remember the close calls I’ve had. Just this week, on my way home from Tagaytay after the Golden Dove awards at about 3am, I almost slammed onto a truck because my reflexes were in slow motion. I didn’t drink any alcohol, I wasn’t asleep, but I wasn’t fully awake either. I could see the truck, I knew I was driving towards it, but my brain couldn’t seem to get the message to my leg to slam on the brakes. But just in the nick of time, I jerked aware and pounded on the brake pedal in time for a jolting halt. It was a sobering moment. So seeing this crash reminded me of just how much of a responsibility it is whenever you get behind the wheel of a vehicle. You are responsible for yourself, for your passengers, for the drivers and passengers of the vehicles on the road with you, and the pedestrians. It’s no joke. Just how seriously you take your responsibility as a driver could spell the difference for you during your sliding doors moments. Those seemingly infinitesimal choices you make could be a turning point for you and the ones you love.

It was a HUGE night for the Monster Radio RX 93.1 team. We came in with a ton of nominations, but there have been years where lots of nominations never really translated into a bird in the hand. So we had to internalize the honor of just being nominated. But as I said on my Twitter account: “It’s an honor to be nominated, pero pakshet, I wanna ween!”

(with the evening’s host, Mr. Boy Abunda)

Delle and I also acted as presentors, the first one for the evening, in fact, and on the first set of awards alone, we already bagged 3 awards: Best Musical/Variety Show Program for The RX Concert Series, Best Magazine Talk show Host for Raffy Reyes, and Best Radio Special for The RX Monster Scholar Announcement.

(The RX girls: Francesca, Christi, Danielle and Delamar)

(Me, Tom and Jude)

Later awards yielded 2 more awards, Best Musical/Variety Program Host for Francesca and we were thrilled to the bone to have won Best Comedy Program for The Morning Rush. It was funny because when they announce us as the winners, Delle’s shoe got unclasped and we practically hobbled to the stage as Delle tried to snap on her shoe and walk at the same time. It was such a thrill because this is the first time Delle and I won as a team:

They also awarded the Broadcaster of the Year Award to Ces Drilon. The last time we attended a Golden Dove Awards ceremony, it was Korina Sanchez. Only the select few gets accorded the honer, and this year, it’s Ces Drilon:

Of course the highlight of the evening, personal achievements aside, was bagging the most coveted award of them all, THE BEST FM STATION AWARD. When they announce our name, Monster Radio RX 93.1, we all yelped a collective whoop and we went as a team to receive the prize, with Louie D. speaking on behalf of the on-air team:

It really feels so good to be recognized for the efforts you put in day after day. Of course awards are a subjective lot, meaning winning an award doesn’t necessarily mean you’re better than the rest, but it’s nice nevertheless a huge honor to be chosen, at that point in time, as the best at the time. This is Monster Radio’s 7th Best FM Station award, and we all pray that there are more to come. Despite being crazy and sometimes even cheeky on air, we truly take our jobs seriously. So to the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, we are grateful and humbled by the honor. Can I just say I’m so glad I’m part of the awesome RX team?

So we’ll do our best to live up to the title and try to deliver what we can on a daily basis. And like we all said during our respective acceptance speeches, we’d like to thank ALL our listeners who fuel our shows with their participation, without which, our shows would only be half as good. Speaking for the Morning Rush, without the entries you guys send us, the will be no Top Ten to enjoy every half hour. So we thank you our listeners and we share this award with you. So kung gusto niyong hipuin ang mga bird namin, it’s your right. Isa-isa lang at hinay-hinay lang, kasi marami naman kayong bird na pagpipilian.

(these are 5 of the 6 Golden Doves we won; 1 didn’t have the plate yet, so it’s still to follow)

Strange Fruit, Kay Ganda! I can’t believe it’s been 3 full years of blogging (and shamelessly plugging) Strange Fruit, better known as chicogarcia.wordpress.com when I squeeze it through an unsuspecting Delamar on the Morning Rush. My relationship with my blog has gone through ups and downs, just like a romantic relationship. Some days it feels like a burden, forcing myself to write post something instead of catching up on much needed sleep. But on other days, it’s a lifesaver, acting my only grip on sanity, as I cling ever so precariously at the edge. What was supposed to be a mere exercise in writing, a passing hobby, has become a full-time commitment. When I travel, I worry and fuss about the days I can’t post. When I wade through the muck of life, I think about how I can relate it in terms of my blog. There’s my life as I live it, and my life as I recount it on digital memory.

I don’t know until when I’ll be blogging, because for sure I’m bound to stop some time, but I must say I’m really having the time of my life. This is the most I’ve been able to write in my life; I’m finally doing that which I’ve always wanted to do. It’s not as fancy as writing books or writing for films, but it’s writing, and that’s what I love. I really should answer comments more. I may not get to answer as often as I should, but I assure you that I get to read, absorb and appreciate every single comment you guys post on this blog.

So here’s to more years together, Happy 3rd Anniversary, Strange Fruit! Happy 3rd Anniversary to us!

My whole Thailand experience was a soup of experiences. My first trip there with the RX family early this year was a mere flirtation, while this trip was an all-out relationship. I got to know Thailand more intimately and it was one of the most interesting travel experience I’ve ever had. During the trip, I couldn’t resist not photographing funny signs like these:

I was actually surprised that for a country deluged with tourists, very few Thais speak good English. It was a bit difficult trying to communicate with the locals. And the food! I’ve blogged about the incredible Thai cuisine (I’d go back just for the food alone!). From fine dining to street food, it’s a dizzying orgasm of flavor:

But I must say, out of all the dishes I hungrily shoveled into my craving maw, the most unique, surprisingly, came from one of the most common dishes,: the omelet. I’ll let the picture speak for itself. I’ve never seen omelet cooked this way. I call it: “the 12-inch, uncut omelet”.

My encounters with animals was also amazing. Here are some more of the animal photos I got from the trip:

(This guy runs, then slide towards the croc, and right before he gets his “omelet chomped off, he steps on the brakes. Weird)

(This had everyone shrieking. This guy would reach into the croc’s gullet to retrieve a 1 thousand baht bill.)

(This has got to be the most nervous smile I could muster. I was more scared of the croc dude behind me. Just minutes earlier these crocs were thrashing around in their pool.)

(After I posed with this regal cat, I felt really guilty because I realized how he was chained and bound for tourists like us to gawk at and take pictures with.)

(This was a baby, believe it or not. The mom and dad elephants were MUCH bigger.)

(I just liked this because of the twin-twin theme. And the 2 cats looked like the cartoon character catdog?)

The statues were also fun. It brought out the “annoying-tourist-and-his-silly-poses” in me:

And a funny anecdote, we were told our last stop would be the Giant Buddha. When we got down, we turned right and went straight for this statue:

We were like, This is the Giant Buddha? Wow, what a letdown. First, it wasn’t really THAT big. Second, it looked more like a she-demon than a Buddha. This would inspire more nightmares than meditations, in my humble opinion. Then someone overheard our gripes and said, “Turn around”. When we did, we saw this:

Then he said something in Thai, which I’m guessing roughly translates to: “Stupid tourists…“

Then of course there’s the city side of Thailand. They have traffic just like us, but surprisingly in a much more orderly way. They never have those free-for-alls like we do here. Check out this photo I took:

I was just so impressed that the flow was so congested, yet everyone stayed in their lanes! And I also got to finally ride the tuktuk:

I’ve basically posted my detailed experiences in my daily posts during the trip, but suffice it to say I really enjoyed myself. I hope to return again, this time to visit Chiang Mai and the elephants, the floating market, Chatuchak (we always go to the soon to be extinct Suan Lum), Chao Praya, and the other wonders of Thailand still waiting to be explored. I just hope it will be just as enriching an experience as this one. “Siam, Khob Khun Khrap!”

When we decided to go to Koh Samui in Thailand, we had a slew of resorts to choose from. The newest one of MANY along the different white beaches of the island was Sareeraya. The pictures on the website were impressive, but as a traveler I know better to take website pics with a grain of salt. Many times I’ve been hoodwinked by resorts that looked great on the website, but looked crappier than a bowl of warm sh*t when you finally get there. Sareeraya lived up to expectations. For me, the crowning glory was the room:

It was spectacular. You literally gasp a sharp intake of breath when you see it. It was so luxurious, every nook and cranny was well-designed, well thought of, and invested with high quality materials. We were deluged with complimentary bottled water, and other supplies. I usually hate the soaps and shampoos in hotels and resorts that’s why I always bring my own even in 5-star hotels, but this resort had wonderful aromatherapy shampoos, conditioners and body washes that made me abandon the toiletries I had. The bathroom was equally impressive:

The shower is separate from the tub, right next to it, with a rainshower-type shower head, and from the shower, you can look out into the bedroom because of a huge window that separates the 2 areas. It’s sexy, but in a classy way, not in a sleazy motel way (not that I would know…). And when you open the closet door from the bedroom, it empties out into the bathroom as well, so you can go from one to the other via the closet. Those little design quirks make this room extra EXTRA special. But the icing on the already bountiful cake is the veranda:

From the veranda, you can go straight into the swimming pool. And right in front (you can’t see it from the photo), there are seats which act as the jacuzzi as well. There is another shower in the veranda for a quick rinse. The pool is accessible only by the 5 or 6 “pool access” villas. Here’s how it looks like from another angle:

This is still separate from the main pool that everyone has access to. And speaking of the main pool, it is the first thing you see once you enter the resort:

Here’s the view from the opposite vantage point:

Can I just gush even more and say the pool is one of the best I’ve ever swam in? Even if the water was chilly due to the cloudy weather that hounded our entire Thailand trip, I loved soaking in the pool because the water was so clean and fresh (with no trace of chlorine) and the tiles were so pretty and the design was so much fun with different levels inside the pool. It brought out the kid in me. If the frigid temperatures didn’t shrink my nuts to the size of jolens, I would’ve stayed much longer. But I prefer my family jewels warm and toasty so I’d opt to get out while I could still thaw them gently with the blow dryer. Right in front of the pool was the sunbathing area:

And right in front of the sunbathing area was Chaweng Beach:

It was nice, with its white powdery sand, but being from the Philippines, I’ve seen much more jaw-dropping beaches back home. But to be fair, we caught Chaweng right after Koh Samui’s version of our Ondoy just days before we arrived. Just like Ondoy for us, it was Koh Samui’s worst flood in 40 years. Our resort was waist high sunk in floodwaters maybe less than 5 days before we got there. So a lot of the water from the streets was still draining out into the ocean. So the water along the beach was murky, silty, and not fit for swimming. Maybe during better days, Chaweng would look much more impressive than it did when we were there. But as far as Sareeraya was concerned, everything was top notch. The price? Exorbitant. We were only able to afford it because we booked more than 2 months before we went, and we booked during November, which is monsoon season in Koh Samui. Traditionally, it’s their lowest season, with hardly any tourists daring to go when rains some almost on a daily basis. Honestly, I don’t think we can afford the regular rates if we went during regular season, even more during the peak season. So I feel really lucky we were able to experience such a high-end resort without paying an arm and a leg. We were living the life for 4 days like spoiled royals. If given the chance, we’d also like to try out the high-end resorts of Koh Phangan or the dive resorts of Koh Tao.

Hehe..I knew taking a picture of this huge subway ad in Bangkok would come in handy. I just find it cool that that is how Harry Potter is written in Thai. Anyway, don’t worry, you can read this review of the first half of the last film of the last book in the series. I specifically made sure I didn’t put any spoilers for those who haven’t read the book and therefore don’t know how the story will unfold. I will stick to the film aspects, and leave the plot untouched. I highly suggest you re-read the book again before you watch the movie.

Watching this movie made me very melancholy. We got to watch it Tuesday evening, November 16, a good 3 days before it debuts (4 days from the U.S. showing if you consider the 1 day advance we have) because it’s our Monster Movie Premiere. It doesn’t help that David Yates, who’s been at the helm since Order Of The Phoenix, really has a visual style that’s drearily dreamlike, each frame bathed in some grainy unearthly lighting, like how we envision dreams would look like. So gone are the slick, well-lit movies by Chris Columbus, and we are left to say goodbye to Harry, Ron and Hermione in in a world of muted greyed shades, adding to the longing for a series, the ending of which we have all been bracing ourselves for.

This last movie is unique, because it has been sliced into 2 halves, therefore giving this episode the unique luxury of really indulging in the characters more than the plot. In all of the earlier entries, the main complaint of fanboys were the stunted way the films condensed the substantial books. Plot-wise, most of the books have been bonsai-ed to fit a more comfortable playing time, mostly to take advantage of more showings per day (which means more profit for the studio) and to appeal more to younger kids (who’d get restless in 3-plus hour epics). So for fans, you’d relish the richer, but slower pace of the movie, each scene lingering in the moment, as if caressing the characters lovingly, as opposed to the runaway pace of say, the first 4 installments. For non-fans, you might fight it a little slower for your taste, especially if you’re used to the earlier films that were lighter, faster, roller coaster rides. I’ve heard comments saying it’s the best film so far, and an equal amount saying it’s a bit dragging in many parts.

I felt lumps in my throat at many points in the movie, even in parts that aren’t even sad. I’m such a potterhead that just seeing the 3 leads as full adults got me all choked up. Acting-wise, the biggest revelation was Emma Watson. She showed a depth she previously only hinted at. Dare I say it, that in my opinion, she’s so good that she became a less efficient actress to play Hermione. Hermione, even the older version, was still pretty much a hot mess, her admirable fortitude and knowledge equally balanced by her neurotic compulsions. But having grown so, Emma Watson has become too deep, that she lost her imbalance, if there even is such a thing. It’s as if she can’t play a mess anymore. She was that impressive. I won’t mention the scenes, but certain parts of the movie had me wanting to applaud her performance.

I don’t know if I like the idea of having 2 parts for HP7. Inasmuch as I relish the lingering, more torturous pace, it felt a bit like prolonging the agony. Although I know exactly how the series ends, I still can’t stand the suspense of seeing it on the big screen. It’s almost as if I’m looking for some sort of closure. And making us wait for 8 more months for the 2nd half seems a bit indulgent for my sensitivities. It’s almost as if I wanted to scream, “Let’s get this over with!” It’s like pulling a band-aid fast as opposed to peeling it off slow.

When the final book came out, it was over. The years I spent invested in the world of Harry Potter were over. But I always found comfort in the fact that there still awaited the unshown films. Somehow, the end was given a reprieve for a couple of more years. And finally, November 2010, the time to say goodbye has come – goodbye to Hogwarts and the world of wizards, witches and goblins. You dread it, but at the same time you relish the incumbent relief. Then when the exact moment comes for you to say the word, it comes out as “Good…” and “Bye” has to wait until July 2011.